Stay With Me
by aolande1
Summary: Sam asks Andy to stay at his place. Alternate ending to ep 2x07.


**A/N:** Alright so here's another quick one-shot based off ep 2x07. It makes sense why this didn't happen on the show, but I can't possibly be the only one who screamed at the TV hoping to make Sam speak up and offer up his place for Andy to stay. So I wrote this. It could probably be considered a follow up for _Remedy, _which is the story I just published for those of you who have no idea what that is. I recommend reading it so you won't be confused as to why Sam and Andy aren't mad at each other anymore. But this piece can totally stand on it's own too.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own RB.

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><p>"Someone taking you home?" he asked even though he knew it was none of his business.<p>

"Yeah I'm gonna get a ride with Traci," she answered as she finished gathering her belongings from her locker.

"Andy, you can't stay at your dad's. I've been to your dad's-"

"Fine then I'll stay at Traci's," she shot back hoping he would just change the subject. The last thing she wanted to do was to discuss her current living situation with _him_.

"Andy, wait," he said as she began to walk past him. He gently grabbed her arm to halt her movement. "Why don't' you stay with me?" he let out barely above a whisper. He knew she heard.

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle at what he had just proposed. "Stay with you? Really, Sam?" she asked not trying to hide her disbelief at all.

"Yeah, why not?" He answered shrugging it off like it was no big deal. "I mean, Traci has Leo and her mom with her." If she was going to agree to this he knew he would have to make staying with him more appealing than staying with Traci.

She shook her head. "Sam, I'm not staying with you." No way in hell was she going to stay with Sam. No way. Not going to happen.

"Andy, I live alone. My place is big. You'd have your own room," he continued listing reasons his place would be the superior choice. "C'mon you know that beats the couch Traci has planned for you."

"I can handle a couch for a couple of nights, Sam. It's no big deal." Did he really think she was going to be picky at a time like this?

He just nodded. "If it's no big deal, then stay with me. It'd just be the two of us. I wouldn't even bother you," he returned trying to convince himself more than her.

_Just the two of us. That's exactly what I'm afraid of. No big deal? He can't actually think me staying with him would be no big deal, could he? _Andy thought as she continued with her inner battle.

"Sam, I don't know," she let out. And she really didn't. His place was the more reasonable of her two choices, but reasonability wasn't really the pertinent issue.

"What, McNally? Worried you can't control yourself around me?" he asked with a wicked raise of his brow.

_Wow, he just went there. _"It's not me I'm worried about," she answered throwing a challenging arch of her own letting him know she was fully aware of his insinuation.

He laughed it off. Now wasn't the time for games. He was tired and it was late. "C'mon, McNally. Just until you decide what you're gonna do. No funny stuff I promise," he said as he brought his right hand up in to a boy scout's salute.

"Put that away. You were never a scout, Sam" she laughed as she lowered his hand for him.

"You're right," he let out in mock defeat. "So…offer still stands. My guest bedroom with a large _comfy_ queen bed and an adjoining on suite or Traci's couch? You're call, McNally," he finished hoping it would be enough to sell her.

She took a deep breath, began to speak then thought against it. She hesitated a little longer before giving in. "Fine. Just let me tell Traci," she finished brushing past him out of the locker room. She stopped right before she reached the door. "No funny stuff," she shot back with a point of her index finger.

"Scout's honor," he replied giving her his best goofy grin. _Scout, ha._

_..._

"Alright, so here's the room," he began as he led her down the narrow hallway to the back of his town house. "The sheets are clean. There are towels and soaps in the bathroom. Make yourself at home," he finished as he turned on the lights that lit the bedroom and bathroom.

"Thanks," she said as she took in the room. At the sight of the bed she became completely sure of her choice. It looked _very _comfy.

"You need anything else?" he asked as he headed out to the hallway.

She shook her head as she dropped her bag on the bed. "No, I'm good. Just gonna grab a shower."

"Okay, me too," he returned before smiling and shutting the door.

After about thirty minutes Andy made her way down the hallway she had just come up. She had showered and changed thanking God she had an extra pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in her bag.

In a matter of seconds she turned the corner and found Sam sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. She glanced down at the coffee table to find another beer sitting on a coaster. For her, she presumed.

"How long have you been in here?" she asked hoping to have not kept him waiting too long. After her shower she wasn't even sure if she was going to leave the bedroom but her want of an alcoholic beverage silenced that thought immediately.

"Just sat down," he answered taking a swig of his beer and using it to show her hers on the coffee table.

She glanced around nervously before walking over to the couch. She took a seat before taking a long swig of the beer.

They sat there for a few minutes as the heat from their showers dissipated. Neither one really needing to speak yet.

After a few minutes Sam got up and grabbed two more beers. He placed one in front of her before sitting down and twisting the cap off his own. "So what are you going to do?" he asked hoping he wasn't out of line. She had agreed to stay with him, at least for tonight, but that didn't mean she had agreed to talk to him.

She looked up quickly as if he had pulled her away from a deep thought. "Hmm, um, I don't know," she answered. Of course he would want to talk. She remembered how many times he had told her she couldn't hold it in, but that's exactly what she wanted to do.

"Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you need," he replied even though he hoped that proposition would go without saying.

She just nodded. "I, um…" she began unsure if she intended to finish. She exhaled and started again. "I guess I should have known you would figure out that Luke…" she had to stop and take a deep breath before she could continue. "…that Luke cheated on me. I don't know why I tried to keep it from you," she said as she took a sip of her beer simply giving herself something to do.

"It doesn't matter why. It was yours to keep," he let out softly as he watched her face closely trying to gage her emotions.

"Yeah well, you saw right through me." She looked over to him and smiled. Of course he did. She waited a few moments before continuing. "I'm just humiliated. I get to be that girl now," she finished shaking her head in disgust.

"Andy, what happened? It sucks. No matter which way you look at it. But it's not your fault," he returned hoping to God she wouldn't place any blame on herself for Luke's infidelity.

"I know that. But it's always something I'm going to think about," she explained taking another sip of her beer. It was and there was nothing she could do right now to change that fact.

"I know." And he did.

She looked at him over the rim of her beer and smiled. "Talking to you is so easy sometimes," she paused. "And then other times…" she retreated not wanting to get too sappy on him.

"Yeah, yeah," he agreed. "What can I say, McNally? I'm awesome," he finished dimples and all.

She nodded before continuing, "And you care." She watched his dimples fade as he realized what she was getting at.

"And I care," he relented feeling the weight of the conversation drift back to the serious side.

She wasn't exactly sure what had just happened. It's not like either one of them had made any big admission of feelings. They weren't there yet. But they did admit something. He admitted he cared, which really wasn't a secret at all, and she admitted she knew. For right now, during the chaos that was currently their lives, that was enough.

They held eye contact for what probably deserved some sort of world record. But it wasn't tense or awkward. It was comfortable. It was a conversation, an acknowledgement and an acceptance. It was all they could give each other for the time being.

"I think I'm gonna turn in," she spoke first as she stretched and stood up.

"Okay, you sure you have everything you need?" he asked as he followed suit.

"Yes, Sam," she assured him. "Everything is great. Thank you."

He nodded his reply. And at that she inched forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She felt him squeeze back immediately and it was exactly what she needed. Everything she had failed to convey earlier through her eyes she hoped would be said through her body.

As they pulled apart he took her hand and led her down the hallway to her bedroom door. As she stepped over the threshold he released her hand and sent her one last smile before shutting the door.

Neither one of them knew what tomorrow would bring. But tonight they could rest assured that no matter what the next few weeks held, they were in a good place. They would get through it all, together.

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><p><em>Thoughts? Like I said, I get why this didn't happen. This one is strictly for FanFiction purposes. Let me know what you thought!<em>


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